It is quite common for fishermen to wade in shallow waters while fishing. A typical example is wade fishing in the shallow water areas along the U.S. Gulf Coast. There, the bottom slopes gently from the shoreline to permit a wade fisherman to walk quite a distance out into the water. This is also commonly done in many other areas and regions, limited primarily by water temperature, dangerous currents, and steepness of the bottom extending from the shoreline. The paraphernalia required for fishing is as simple or as complex as one might wish. Realistically, however, wade fishing practically always requires at least some spare fishing gear such as additional lures, etc. to make a change or to replace those otherwise lost. Another factor required for practically any fisherman is available bait. While it is possible to fish with artificial lures, it is desirable to fish with live bait and in particular with live minnows, shrimp, etc. It is not otherwise possible to carry bait in the water except in some kind of bait bucket. At this juncture, the bait bucket becomes unwieldy. It must be drug or otherwise rested on the bottom. Ordinarily, it must be submerged to some extend to provide continual water interchange to keep the bait alive. In any event, the equipment essential for operation of a wading fisherman is unwieldy and involves many different things.
Snacks may be desirable, but they cannot be carried easily. Additional fishing tackle is limited to only that which the wading fisherman can put in his pocket or perhaps hang from loops on a belt. Often, a stringer for newly caught fish must also be included. All of these entanglements add to the complexity, and thereby inhibit wading fishing.
The apparatus of the present disclosure is a unified device which carries all of the equipment wanted by the wading fisherman. It incorporates an integral bait bucket primarily submerged in the water to keep the bait alive. Moreover, the bait bucket is supported by a surrounding ring shaped float so that it is not out of sight on the bottom but it is at arm's length from the fisherman. This makes the bait bucket far more accessible. In addition to this, the present apparatus has a sealed, lid covered tackle box with a snap latch enabling the lid to be opened and closed. The tackle box enables the fisherman to store and quickly obtain any number of additional pieces of fishing equipment. The tackle box is arranged over an adjacent box containing an insulated compartment suitable for storing sandwiches, canned drinks, and the like. This makes refreshments readily available. The present apparatus is constructed with a hole formed in it to receive the butt end of a fishing pole so that the fishing pole or fly rod can be rested while the fisherman has both hands free. This is often needed so that the fisherman can tie lures and other equipment on the fishing line.
All of this equipment is constructed as a unit with a surrounding ring of resilient foamed plastic material. This ring provides stability and support. It is constructed with various internal compartments, some being insulated to maintain thermal protection and other being perforated to permit water transfer. All of the equipment is constructed as a unit so that it might be tied by a suitable, convenient line to the belt of the fisherman. Conveniently, also, a tab is included to enable the fisherman to anchor a stringer on this apparatus. The stringer hangs over the side to hold any fish that have been caught by the fisherman. It is perhaps safer to hang the stringer off to the side and away from the fisherman. This keeps the recently caught fish from entangling around the fisherman. It is safer to do this because the stringer may attract large aggressive fish including sharks, barracuda and the like. Occasionally, they will strike at the stringer close to the fisherman and sometimes injure the fisherman.
While the foregoing is directed to the background of the present apparatus and briefly summarizes the structure of the present invention, a detailed description is set forth below in reference to the attached drawings.